The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-01-23
SUNDAY. JAN. %, 1887

It would be difficult and thankless
task to undertake to convince the law-abid-
ing citizens of this community, that large
share of the responsibility moral re-
sponsibihty the mdrder by the Pinker-
ion men that has marked the progress of
the coal strikes in this City does not rest on
Mayor Cleveland's shouldess. The Mayor
selected this special force of conservators
of the peace for attack; and SO encouraged
attack on them by men whose feelings
were already infamed by a sense of wrong
and injustice. When the Mayor publically
declared that their presence at the docks
was enough to provoke riot, he practi-
cally declared that it might well be used as
pretext for assault, and excused deeds of
violence in advance of the commission of
them. And when the attack that resulted
In the killing of innocent Tommy Hogan,
was finally made on Thursday. it was in
the direct line of the action the Mayor
had himself suggested. That the agitation
he created could accomplish no practical
end, good or bad, is a circumstance that
makes the Mayors agitation all the more
unwise and inexcusable. Suppose the
Police Board had, in response to the
Mayors frenzied demands, revoked the
police powers conferred on the men, the
the situation would have remained I'M
changed. The company have the power
under the act to put whatever and as many
Waterman as the emergency may call for
in cia'ge of its property, and arm them for
for its protection; andaso even if all the
Mayor attempted to have done had been
done concerning them, they would have re-
manned there all the same, and discharged
the same functions the City commissioned
them to discharge. The Mayors action
therefore surprises us by its reckless and
transparent demagoguey. No man in the
City has done so much, nor half as much,
to provoke the strikers to blooodshed as
the City's Chief who should instead have
led in the movement for the preservation
of the peace. It is gratifying to know
that the stSikers have more regard for the
saw than he seemingly gives them credit
for. 81 oodsh ed and violence are not part
Of their policy. They are struggling to
establish principle, and propose 20 es-
tahlish it by the peac eful resources at their
command, and we believe that they have
enough of justice on their side, and enough
power behind them to enforce concession
their demands.
What we have written is designed only to
show the emptiness of the Mayors attack
upon the Pinker.on specials, and the con-
sequent transparency of the motive that in
spired it. 1t IN no wise excuses or justffes
the attack of the brutal fellows upon a
crowd of innocent children that cost one
of them his life last Thursday evening. 1t
is only another pro of of the Morris and
Essex's utter disregard OF the feelings and
rights of this community that it has i'm
ported such gang of roughs to sting the
people into revolt. 1t is a new manifesto
ton of the impudent arrogance that
prompts It to refuse to pay to the city what
it should for the enjoyment of its franchises
and for the protection of its property, and
to declare itself greater even than the State
when she seeks TO bring it within the pur
view of her laws. The fact that this wan
ton murder was committed at the bidding
of SO grac sless a corporation makes it all
the less easy to contemplate with any de-
gree.of composure and if the real crimi
nal has been bagged by the police, will do
much to infame public sentiment against
him when he is put to the bar for trial.
difference on the point of compensa
ton between an employer and his employee
is SO essentially matter of adjustment be-
tween the two parties to the controversy
that no outsider can assume 10 arbitrate fol
them; and SO on the question of ths
amount the coal companies should pay
their striking coal handlers for their labors,
we hold no opinion. But we do know tina
the grasping and grinding corporations viii
force as much service as possible out o
their servants for the least possible excen
diture, and our sympathies are natural.
with the men who are seeking to improy
their condition, and to keep their families
out Of the poor houses. It is tOugl
for a man to labor from earl.
morn till dewy eve, and starye while h
works. Ragged backs and hungry ston